


Class Solidarity? You Can Bet On It! (or, Why HSM2 Is Anti-Capitalist)

by noodledream



Category: High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: Anti-Capitalism, Class Analysis, Class Issues, Gen, Labor Struggle, Meta, Sociological Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 00:24:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19262212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noodledream/pseuds/noodledream
Summary: On the surface, High School Musical 2 is a simple, colorful story about summer vacation. But it also levels a biting social critique by forcing the protagonist to choose between selling his soul to get ahead, or standing strong in class solidarity.





	Class Solidarity? You Can Bet On It! (or, Why HSM2 Is Anti-Capitalist)

What time is it? Well, when one of the most popular franchises influencing youth and young adults forwards an anti-capitalist message, it is time to pay attention. Many Millenials and Gen Z folks can recall the _High School Musical_ movies with clarity, and especially the more bizarre moments like [when Zac Efron jumps and dances around a golf course](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2x4vY0FrCc) in order to sort out his priorities and values. That very scene is an important indicator that  _High School Musical 2_  levels a biting social critique by forcing the protagonist to choose between selling his soul to get ahead or standing strong in class solidarity. 

The second movie in the _High School Musical_ franchise is an example of [sociological storytelling](https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-real-reason-fans-hate-the-last-season-of-game-of-thrones/), made salient by the scale of its pop culture relevance in the 2000s. I say that it is sociological because character motivations are shaped by external pressures--like class, social status, rules and norms--rather than some deep-seated propensity for good or evil. More than anything,  _High School Musical 2_  is a story about **labor** , what with the divide between the proletariat Wildcats and the bourgeois Country Clubbers. The Wildcats are playing the meritocratic game of social mobility by working at the Country Club for the summer. They need money for college, which is a gatekeeper to socioeconomic status. (Here it is important to keep in mind the class privilege inherent in having college as an option.) The film seems critical of American “meritocracy,” which seems to be a myth since Troy gets considered for opportunities for which most of the Wildcats are qualified. That the Wildcats are hired at all is a result of Troy’s demand. Their economic duress leaves them at the mercy of their employer. Even after they discover that “the boss is such a _creep_ ,” their need for money compels them to “work this out” despite the toxic work environment. So they find community in the kitchen as working class laborers-–in order to cope-–just like the proletariat has always done.

Mr. Fulton (the boss) is the villain, but in sociological fashion. Just like Sharpay, he is not black-and-white evil. Rather, he does bad things because of systemic incentives and environmental factors. In a conversation between Mr. Fulton and Taylor, we find out that he is so mean because of his class pressures, when he yells: “This. Is. A business! Welcome to the world of adults who wish to keep their jobs because they have mortgages they wish to pay, tuition bills, car payments, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera! So sometimes we have to perform tasks–-however unpleasant–-that are necessary for that all-too-important paycheck to land in our all-too-empty pockets!”

Troy is invited to rise to (petit) bourgeoisie status, seduced by elite membership and its benefits (i.e. Italian shoes), better employment opportunities (caddy), and educational opportunities (scholarships). This special treatment comes with conditions. He must continually prove to the bourgeoisie that he deserves it through meetings with the Country Clubbers who would be funding his scholarship, basketball practices with the Redhawks, and behavior regulation. He is expected to give up control of his social and professional life to the bourgeoisie and allow all of his time to be dictated by Sharpay. He must also reproduce inequality and exclusion (i.e., he can play with the Redhawks, but his Wildcat teammates cannot: “It’s a closed practice, sorry”). All of these conditions are to ensure that he will play out his new role without disrupting the social order. Troy’s emotional turmoil in "Bet On It" centers around his personal values conflicting with the social pressures he is facing.

When Sharpay forces Mr. Fulton to break up the Wildcats’ community-building activities by banning them from participating in the talent competition, the Wildcats feel powerless to fight back because their jobs are on the line. Gabriella is able to confront Sharpay, but only after she quits. In an inspiring turn, Troy uses his privilege to demand justice for his Wildcat friends. That he chooses to reject social mobility and return to fight alongside his proletariat comrades suggests that  _High School Musical 2_ is ultimately an anti-capitalist call for solidarity in the class struggle.

**Author's Note:**

> Find my [original post on tumblr](https://snape-at-pride.tumblr.com/post/185551105883/you-talked-about-individual-vs-social-storytelling) , where Felix wrote an interesting comment about how Sharpay's upbringing makes her a complex, sociological villain.


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